June Again
June Again is a pretty good movie that’s headlined by the first excellent performance of the year.
Comedy
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes is a mind-melting, time-bending farce that works like a fine tuned juggling act.
Red Rocket
By: Jolie Featherstone By beautifully capturing the stories of American communities that are rarely seen on screen, Sean Baker has the makings of a modern auteur.
Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (a title that sounds like misheard lyrics to Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”) is specific enough to be a filmmaker’s vision. The problem is writer/director Radu Jude hasn’t found a cohesive or accessible way to deliver that vision to audiences.
Clerk
A doc about filmmaker Kevin Smith poses an interesting challenge for the documentarian because Smith has been so open so often on public forums. What else can you explore that he hasn’t expanded on already? From feature-length behind-the-scenes bonus features to Smith’s lengthy discussions taped at colleges and concert venues, Smith has covered his life and career from (seemingly) every angle.
Introducing Jodea
By: Trevor Chartrand JD Cohen’s Introducing Jodea looks and sounds like a movie slapped together by a high school student over the course of a weekend. From the first frame, the technical failings of the movie are painful, plentiful and impossible to miss. With a lacklustre cast and an agonizingly bland script, the movie ultimately leaves much to be desired.
The Beta Test
Jim Cummings proved to be a brilliant performer and an exciting filmmaker with Thunder Road, a film he not only directed but also wrote and starred in. As that film’s leading character, he commanded the screen with run-on breakdowns that ranged from hysterical highs to desperate lows. The unforgettable results balanced heavy emotions and dark comedy.
Daisy Productions: ‘#BasicBAEs’ and ‘Thank U, Ex’
The latest efforts from the Toronto-based comedy collective Daisy Productions are two different takes on a fantasy vs. reality theme. #BasicBAEs, directed by Dennis Alexander Nicholson (Kitty Mammas), is a short film that follows the individual lives of friends who primarily communicate through social media. Thank U, Ex, a hybrid show directed by Maddie Rose that incorporates theatre with taped segments, chronicles the love life of a hopeless romantic with a chip on their shoulder….
Toronto After Dark 2021: ‘Nightshooters’
Combining martial arts with survival horror and thrills, Nightshooters may have a few rough patches – but it’s a hell of a good time.